UCL Ethics Committee to approve Non-NHS research involving human participants

The committee is responsible for reviewing proposals for research on human subjects or tissues such as DNA - or using databases of personal information - to be conducted on UCL premises or by UCL staff, or by students under the supervision of staff. The committee will provide guidance to ensure that research is conducted safely, with considered consent and respect for the autonomy and privacy of participants.

Professor Leslie Aiello, Head of the Graduate School and the committee's initiator, explained: "The NHS ethics committees have undergone a number of changes under EU directives, and no longer process non-NHS applications. Therefore, it was necessary to establish a committee tasked with scrutinising non-NHS human research."

She continued: "Ethical clearance is now a requirement of eligibility for funding from several bodies, including the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust, and is also a concern of the Arts & Humanities Research Board. The establishment of the committee will ensure that funded research will not be impeded."

The committee consists of 11 members: a lay chair, five academics and five lay members, representing a broad spectrum of experience, culture and ages. It has been established according to international criteria and will shortly be registered with the US Department of Health & Human Services. It is also soon to become a member of the Association of Research Ethics Committees.

Full guidelines on the application process are available online. If the project is deemed to have minimal risk to the human subjects, clearance can take as little as one week; full approval of higher-risk projects will take longer, depending on individual circumstances.

Professor Aiello said: "There are obviously a number of grey areas in terms of risk assessment of vulnerable subjects such as children, and techniques such as deception, which may be necessary for the success of certain psychological research projects. The committee will establish criteria for different types of human research, and this will be fine-tuned as we get more involved. UCL is renowned for its research excellence, so it is very important that we are at the forefront of the provision of this type of guidance. We welcome feedback from staff."

To find out more about the committee or to provide feedback use the links below.

Link: Ethics committee
Contact: Professor Aiello